


Steel Notes

by zimturtle



Category: Ed Edd n Eddy
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Asexual Character, Bisexual Male Character, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Sexuality Crisis, Trans Male Character
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-10-07
Updated: 2014-10-07
Packaged: 2018-02-20 05:46:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,266
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2417162
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zimturtle/pseuds/zimturtle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After a few short weeks of pining for the attention of a girl at Peach Creek High, Kevin decides to learn how to play a very specific instrument to impress her. But who is this 88 Fingers Eddward that Nat and Nazz have procured to teach him?<br/>Prompt can be found here:<br/>http://hellyeahkevedd.tumblr.com/post/48943724586/to-anyone-who-needs-a-fic-idea-prompt<br/>I don’t take credit for the idea or characters, but I will take credit for writing it and for any of my own OC's. Obviously.<br/>(Decided to take this in a slightly different route. I've got some surprises in store so stay tuned!)<br/>So just to cover my bases,<br/>Don’t own EENE<br/>Don’t own the idea<br/>Don’t own Nat<br/>Enjoy!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Challenge Accepted

"Damn." He muttered appreciatively at the short red head who had just made her way past his locker. Her lengthy hair just barely kissed the waistband of her skin tight jeans, and the way she carried herself just screamed sass master. She was just so damned  _sexy._

The curse had barely pushed past his lips when she turned to fix him under a menacing glare. Her snarl was met by a smirk and with a scoff she flipped him off, marching down the hall, a scowl pinching at her face.

Kevin rolled his eyes at her reaction, but watched her carefully as she walked away. The way her hips rolled made his lips go dry. A tongue flicked out of his mouth to moisten them, and a thought flitted through his mind.

_I’ve got to have her._ He would find a way. He  **always** found a way.

He was determined to follow her full ass down the hall with his eyes, but was interrupted by a hand waving in front of his face.

"Kevin?" *wave wave* "KEVIN."

"Huh?" He snapped his attention to the guy standing in front of him with an annoyed grimace plastered on his features, "Oh hey Nat." was all the response he received before Kevin was back to stalking his prey.

"Hey Kevin." He chuckled, following the starved look of his friend. "You seem  _distracted_ today.”

Kevin caught Nat’s wink and smiled, rubbing the back of his neck in false embarrassment. 

"Aw you know how it is Nat." His thumb hiked in the direction that the fiery girl had been walking, "You know her?"

He glanced down the hallway before snorting to hold in a laugh.

"Fat chance _you’ve_ got Kev. That’s Macy Dunbar." He smoothed a misplaced lock of teal hair back before continuing, "I’m sure you’ve seen her before. She’s captain of the volleyball team dude."

"Captain huh?" He scratched his chin, "So she’s a senior?" 

"Correctomundo cassanova." Nat smirked.

Kevin clucked a small  _'tsk'_ before setting a few books into his almost forgotten locker.  _  
_

_She might just be a challenge._ A grin stretched across his face, and a glint of excitement twinkled in his eyes.

"Ohhhhhh no Kevin I know that look!" Nat waggled a finger in Kevin’s face, attempting and failing to get under his friends’ skin. "She’s out of your league dude. You’re just going to make a fool of yourself."

"You underestimate me man," His trademark cocky smirk resumed its place across his cheeks, "Ain’t no such thing as out of my league. Besides, I’ve heard of seniors dating sophomores before. It’s not like it’s impossible."

Nat only groaned in response to Kevin’s dismissal of the road blocks that were certain to stand in his way. The boy was stubborn as he was cocky.

"Fine bro, but when it turns out that I was right you better expect a big fat ‘I told you so’." Nat huffed and began to make his way toward chemistry as the bell rang and signaled the end of break.

"Sure man." Kevin threw a laugh over his shoulder as they parted ways.

_Maybe Nazz’ll know something that could help me out with this chick._

Kevin sighed, recalling his past relationship with the feisty blond that was Nazz Van Bartonschmeer. Back when they were kids, he was sure that Nazz was ‘the one’, but no matter how hard they tried, the ‘boyfriend/girlfriend’ dynamic didn’t click. They were much better as friends, but damn if they didn’t do stupid things to each other. Nazz would always set up tests for him to prove himself, and when he failed to meet her expectations she would find some way to get back at him. 

One time it got so bad that Kevin completely destroyed her boom box in a fit of rage, and she got her revenge by smashing his bike to pieces with a socket wrench. They both calmed down once they were apart and things went back to normal. 

Distracted by his trip down memory lane, Kevin was unaware of the trio of friends that were noisily making their way down the hall. 

"Oof!" He grunted at the elbow in his gut and snarled at the person it belonged to, "Watch it dork, or I’ll pound ya into the concrete."

"Puh-lease." Eddy chuckled, "Suck an egg shovel chin."

"Two strikes Eddy." Kevin cracked his knuckles and pulled the collar of Eddy’s shirt up so that he could glower directly into the shorter boys annoying face, "One more and you’re out."

Sensing the obvious and growing tension in the air, Double D stepped forward.

"Now now gentlemen, couldn’t we resolve this issue in a non violent manner?" He smiled and gently placed a hand on each of their shoulders.

Kevin turned his attention to the dainty fingers that had been placed carefully on his deltoid momentarily before shrugging it off and shoving Eddy away from him.

"Whatever Double Dweeb," He scoffed,"Stay away from me creep." He pointed an angry finger towards Eddy and stormed off towards P.E.

"Jeeze, what a jerk huh Double D?" Eddy smirked.

"Oh indeed, his reaction to your childish behavior was entirely unwarranted Eddy." Double D rolled his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration.

"Look Double Dee," Ed waved his arms excitedly and pointed out of a nearby window, "A butterfly!"

He released his poor nose and took a moment to appreciate the simple beauty of the small creature.

"That it is Ed." He replied, lightly patting his chum on the back. 

* * *

"Ugh that dork really gets me peeved." Kevin groaned next to Nazz. They were currently taking a few warm up laps around the track, and neither of them felt the least bit breathless. 

She giggled, “He always does Kev. You know it’s cuz you react right? I bet if you just ignored him he’d leave you alone.”

He bit back a growl, “Yeah but then he’ll think that he’s won! I can’t let that dork  _win_ Nazz. That’d just be wrong.”

"Sure dude." She paused to side step around a rock in her path, "So what’s the deal with Macy?"

"How do you know about that? I haven’t even told you yet!" Kevin stared at her, dumbfounded before the look in her eyes slapped a bit of realization into him, "Nat told you didn’t he."

"Mhmm." She nodded, "I got the text when I was in the middle of changing."

"Oh." He replied awkwardly, "So what do you think? Know anything that could help me out?"

"Well…" She glanced at Kevin, "She’s not into the whole dating scene to begin with, so it’s not going to be easy. She’s crazy involved with volleyball and doesn’t do much besides practice and study. Most people say she’s a prude but I’ve heard that she was in a really bad relationship a while ago and doesn’t want a repeat. Word is that she dated an ass of a jock and now detests all men who associate themselves with sports."

"Jeeze, sounds like I’ve got my work cut out for me." He grumbled as they moved on to stretch.

"I gotta say Kev, this is looking pretty impossible." Nazz sighed and pulled her leg up behind her to stretch her quads.

"Nothings impossible Nazz." He quipped, becoming more and more frustrated with his current odds.

"Look, I’ll try and find out some more about her okay? For now don’t worry about it too much dude, you might start sprouting gray hairs."

Kevin laughed and shook his head in amusement, “Thanks Nazz. I owe you one.”

"You mean one more?" She winked as a small chuckled passed through her lips.

"Yeah yeah okay," He held up his hands in mock defense, "I owe you one more."

The rest of the school day moved quickly for him as he thought of ways that he could prove to Macy that he wasn’t just some jock, but nothing seemed to stick in his mind.

When the last bell finally rang, Kevin made his way to his locker. Upon reaching it, he noticed a slip of paper that had been jammed into one of the horizontal slots of his locker door. He pulled out the sheet and began to read.

_You’re gonna love us Kev!_

_Check it out, Macy loves country music…ESPECIALLY when it involves pedal steel guitars. Weird right? Anyways we’ve even found you a teacher ;D here’s the guys’ number. Have fun!~_

_Love Nat and Nazz_

As promised, a phone number was scrawled messily across the bottom of the page as well as a…strange…nickname?

_'Who the heck is 88 Fingers Eddward?'_

 


	2. I Got This

He stuffed the scrap of paper into his back pocket before releasing a frustrated huff.

_I don’t have **time** to learn some stupid instrument. _A hand lifted his baseball cap to rake fingers through sweaty red hair.  _Guess I’m just gonna have to rely on the usual stuff._

* * *

It had been two weeks.

**Two fucking weeks.** Since he had started talking to Macy Dunbar and he was no where  _near_ closer than he had been on the first day he laid eyes on her. Sure his ‘offensive comment’ already had him two steps back, but she wasn’t even giving him a chance to make up for lost ground. She was like Fort Knox. 

Flowers, mix tapes, chocolates, even tickets to the Peach Creek University volleyball game had been trampled on, snapped in two, thrown away, and torn in half. Those tickets hadn’t been cheap either.

"Shit." He muttered under his breath as he walked beside Nat to their lunch table.

It housed most of the starting line-up of the football team and a few bench members that had managed to impress the rest of the group. Kevin hated to admit it, but whenever he sat down with his friends he couldn’t help but be reminded of a certain ‘power table’ in a certain movie that Nazz had forced him to watch when they were dating. He felt so fucking… _Regina George._

 ”Thinking about Macy?” Nat grinned, elbowing his counterpart in the ribs.

"Buzz off man." Kevin back peddled a few steps to give Nat a perfectly executed flat tire, "She’s a tough nut to crack."

"Hehehehe." Nat was catching up to him after fixing his shoe, "Well  _Kev_ if you’re ready to give up, just know that I totally told you so.”

Kevin groaned in annoyance and took his usual seat in the middle of the long table that was occupied by his favorite team mates. After a few moments, Nazz settled in next to him with her usual lunch of Sloppy Joe’s and a salad. Her excuse for eating such a big sandwich was her need of protein for lacrosse practice, but Kevin knew that it was simply because the messy slider was her favorite food.

"So Kevin," She spoke after wiping a grease mark from her chin, "How are things with Macy?"

He responded with a grunt before shoveling a fork full of mashed potatoes into his mouth.

"That bad huh?" She patted him on the back reassuringly, "She’ll come around eventually."

At the word ‘eventually’, Kevin let his head fall back and a deep sigh escape his throat.

"Why do you even want to date her in first place?" Nat was having a steadily more difficult time hiding his annoyance with the situation as the days rolled past. "Any girl that would tear up tickets, really fucking  **expensive** court side tickets, to the biggest volleyball game of the season right in front of your face deserves to be smacked. Simple as that.” 

Kevin lolled his head over to glare at the teal headed hindrance to his left. Nat met the evil eyes temporarily before rolling his own.

"You know I’m right Kev. That was a bitch move."

"Ugh." Was Kevin’s only response.

"Seriously dude, why are you trying so hard at this?" Nazz had a concerned look in her eye that made Kevin feel a little guilty. The reason? He didn’t have a clue.

"I don’t know man." He rubbed the back of his neck, thinking. Why  _was_ he trying so hard? “At this point…it just feels like a waste if I give up now.”

Nat laughed and Nazz just sighed at his answer. It didn’t make any sense, but it proved to both of them once again that Kevin’s stubborn streak could put any mule to shame. 

"Just don’t get too caught up in it." Nazz smiled halfheartedly at him.

"Yeah yeah dude, don’t worry." Kevin winked back, trying to plan out his next move for Macy while munching on cafeteria corn, but he was running out of ideas.

_Dammit._ He rubbed his forehead remembering the number he had saved in his phone that was burning a hole in his pocket.

"You know Kevin~" Nat smirked, knowing that Kevin was down to the wire, "Nazz and I  _did_ find that awfully useful resource for you. Have you even called the guy yet?”

The N team shared a look, and Kevin glanced suspiciously between them.

"No I haven’t and I don’t plan to." The night he found the note he had gone straight home to google what a pedal steel guitar was, and found that he didn’t like the answer. It was just… _lame._

"It could work Kev. She’s got a thing for musicians." Nazz poked him in the side, hoping to convince him.

“ _Fine._ " Kevin growled, "I’ll call him. You happy?"

"Yeah dude." Naz smiled.

"Ecstatic." Nat followed.

* * *

Double D was sitting in his room, enjoying his music and finishing a paper that wasn’t due for another two weeks after a productive day at school. Normally, his playlists included selections from the Classical and Romantic periods with the occasional Present symphonic/band arrangement here and there, but on rare days when Beethoven, Grainger, Chopan and Tchaikovsky just weren’t enough he would crank up his headphones to dangerous levels and sink back with  _everything_ else. 

His fascination with music had begun at a young age. His mother had found it necessary to his growth to be well versed in all things music, and in her usual manner left him daunting music theory texts, records of important composers, and a sticky note that instructed him to learn. The fact that he would be tackling something so entirely  _different_ than everything else he had already known was exciting to say in the least. Once his mother was satisfied that he had mastered the material, she wrote that he would be learning to play an instrument. 

Upon reading that wonderful yellow paper, he had given a triumphant squeal. He would actually be able to  _participate_ in this marvelous subject! The thought of creating something that was entirely his own and didn’t have any set parameters was liberating, but when he sat down with the strange looking stringed board that had been set up in his room, he couldn’t help but be disappointed. He had hoped to be given a cello, a violin, a clarinet, _something_ that could be used in an orchestral setting…but what he had received was entirely foreign to anything related to the symphony.

After a few minutes of moping, he had sighed and decided it best not to question the sticky notes of his mother. It didn’t take him long to figure out the pedal steel guitar, and soon after starting he could say without arrogance that there was nothing more he could learn from it. Only once did he ask his mother why she had chosen the instrument for him, and she had written back that it was a good challenge as it required both hand and feet to use. It was exquisite practice for multitasking and would improve finger dexterity. He couldn’t argue with that point.

And so he spent hours upon hours plucking the annoying strings and sucked the once fun prospect dry of its luster before moving on to other instruments that were lying around the house. His mother’s grand piano and xylophone for example.

To this day he detested country music that involved the pedal steel guitar. 

However, after rifling through Eddy’s vast record collection he discovered the world of music that existed outside of what he knew…and it had been beautiful. Ever since his first experience with rock and roll he binged on anything and everything the human race had created with sound. 

These days he was captivated with heavy metal and techno. Things that made him  _feel_ like he had never felt before. Bands like Five Finger Death Punch and White Chapel rubbed him raw in the most delicious way, while the bass lines of Daft Punk and Deadmau5 pumped something tingly through his veins. 

Just the other week, he had been filling his head with rap, R&B, hip hop, and soul. The previous month had been jazz, big band, pop, and Irish punk. 

It was a secret hobby of his; something that was his alone and that no one, not even Ed or Eddy knew about. For all they knew, he was a Classical junkie, and Double D wouldn’t have it any other way. 

As he finished typing the last phrase of his research paper, a buzzing directed his attention away from the computer screen. After pressing the period key softly, he reached forward to inspect the smart phone that had stopped shuddering.

An unknown number flashed across the screen along with an icon indicating a new text message. Curiously, he tapped on it and read.

'Is this 88 Fingers Eddward?'

He scoffed at the long forgotten nickname.  _How crude._ He thought before sending off a quick message of his own.

'My answer is dependent upon the reason of your inquiry.'

He waited for a moment before receiving a  _vrr_ from his cell.

'Dammit is that you double dork?'

_Double dork?_ Edd pondered for a moment before a light flickered in his mind.

'Kevin?'

Why on earth would  _Kevin_ be texting him of all people? They hadn’t spoken in so long…and the fact that he had called him ‘88 Fingers Eddward’ had Double D feeling a little nauseous.

As he waited for a response, Double D tried to think of rational reasons why Kevin would be asking about his pedal steel guitar skills, and came up with none.

He began to fidget as an unfamiliar impatience tugged at his belly.

A knock that resounded from downstairs made him flinch, and he shakily stood from his desk before flitting to the front door. An unnecessary glance into the peephole affirmed his fears, and he took a deep breath, opening the door with a nervous smile painted on his lips.

"Why hello Kevin. What can I assist you with?" His attempt to be civil was lost on the jock.

Kevin huffed and rolled his eyes, regretting his decision immediately.

"Listen Double Dork…" He pinched the bridge of his nose, not believing that he was resorting to asking one of the dorks for  _help._ "There’s this girl and…" He stopped as he looked up to face Edd and groaned, frustrated with the situation.

After a few moments of silence, Double D began to sweat.

"And…?" He encouraged, hoping Kevin wouldn’t take his statement the wrong way.

"Ugh. Look I need to learn how to play the stupid pedal steel guitar and you’re the only one who can help me okay?" Kevin grimaced and reached out a hand, "So would ya?"

Resisting the urge to correct Kevin’s grammar, Edd blushed and met the offered appendage gingerly.

"I would be happy to assist you Kevin." He smiled, still unsure of what was happening.

Kevin gave Double D a firm shake, making the thinner boy wobble slightly with the force of it. 

"Thanks man." For a moment, he was unable to let go of Edd’s hand. He didn’t know what he was expecting from the resident genius, but a sweet smile was not on the list. He was floored until Double D made a small noise of protest at the momentary loss of his hand.

Kevin cleared his throat before mumbling an apology and stepping back. An awkward silence swaddled them both.

"Would you care to come inside?" Double D offered. "We can discuss your lessons over a glass of lemonade."

"Yeah sure, sounds good." Kevin followed him into the house, a breath escaping his lungs at the sight of new territory.

_What am I getting myself **into**? _ He thought fleetingly as the door shut softly behind him.

 


	3. Lesson Number One

"Now place your feet as such." Double D nervously toed the heel of Kevin’s foot in order to gently correct its position. He had never taught someone how to play an instrument before, and the pressure behind it was unexpected.

"Okay, now what?" Kevin crossed his arms impatiently, uncomfortable with the fact that he couldn’t see what the dork was up to.

Edd took hold of the larger males hands from behind and placed them over the strings, “Hold this position please.” He muttered, moving away to acquire his finger picks and slider.

Kevin rolled his eyes each time his skin came into contact with Edd’s. Huffing slightly, he crossed his arms, trying to suffocate the urge to run far away from this embarrassing situation.

Double D made his way into the jocks’ field of vision with a small ‘tsk’.

"Kevin," He reprimanded gently, "I requested that you stay still."

He grabbed hold of Kevin’s hands once more and placed the materials on the proper hands: picks on the index finger and thumb of the right hand, slider in the left.

"Now from here…I suppose…" Edd tapped a finger on his chin, and gingerly took the beginner’s book from its place on the stand. He flipped to the first page and set it down, meeting Kevin’s grimace with an uncertain chuckle.

He cleared his throat before speaking, “To start, you will learn the names of each note on the music staff, where to find them on the guitar, and how to use the pedals.”

Kevin said nothing and stayed stock still, the same strained look on his face.

Double D waited for a moment before realizing that Kevin wasn’t interested in giving a repsonse, “Well then…shall we begin?”

* * *

They had been practicing for an hour when Kevin finally gave up. He had had enough.

"Ah screw it man!" He ripped the picks from his fingers and threw them, along with the slider, mercilessly at the same page he had been staring at for what felt like forever.

"Oh dear!" Double D exclaimed, catching the stand before it clattered to the floor. "Kevin wait!"

But of course, he didn’t listen.

_Stupid instrument. Stupid music. Stupid DORK!_ A frustrated growl left his throat as he tore the baseball cap from his head and wrung it between balled up fists. Just as he reached the front door and swung it open, he felt a gentle hand on his shoulder. He snapped his attention to Double D with a snarl. Since when was the dork so fast?

"Please Kevin, don’t give up! The pedal steel guitar is an extremely complex instrument to learn," He was smiling sympathetically, "it may take a substantial amount of time, but I believe you have the potential to master it if you continue to practice."

Kevin shrugged off the soft hand gruffly and opened his mouth to speak, “Listen Double Dork, this ain’t worth my time.” 

Double D watched him storm off with a disappointed frown on his face. He didn’t particularly care for the fiery red head, but his opinion of Kevin’s character didn’t really matter in this situation. Kevin was trying to  _learn._ Edd would not give up on something so pure. There just had to be a way to change his mind. 

* * *

"So how did your first lesson go?" Nat asked innocently as he stood beside Kevin’s locker. It was 7:00 in the morning, a half hour before school was due to start.

Kevin answered with a groan.

"That bad huh?"

"You have no idea!" He slammed his locker shut, "We spent an hour staring at the same fucking page because I couldn’t figure out how to follow dots on a line."

Nat chuckled and took up stride beside Kevin, “So what, you’re giving up?”

"What do you think man? It was embarrassing enough that I had to ask one of those  _dorks_ for help, but standing there making a fool of myself is not something I want to do again.” 

Nat was just about to respond when something stopped both of them in their tracks.

Macy Dunbar was walking down the hall. Directly towards them.

_Shit shit shit._ Kevin thought, trying to remember if he had done anything to upset her recently.

She stopped a few inches from him, an attempt at a smile drawn on her lips.

"Hey Kev." She was blushing.

**She was blushing.**

Kevin was frozen in shock until Nat nudged him forward.

"Oh hi Macy." He tried his best to smile, confused as he was.

"So…Nazz told me that you like country music?" She stared up at him with narrowed eyes, attempting to make small talk. 

_Thank you Nazz!_ It took all of his willpower not to go running through the halls to find his friend and crush her with a hug.

"Yeah I like it. Especially the stuff with pedal steel guitars." Something about her demeanor was throwing him for a loop, but _she_ was talking to  _him_. That's all he cared about right now.

She sighed and begrudgingly handed him an envelope, saying nothing. He took it carefully, and couldn’t believe his eyes. Two tickets to the Peach Creek University volleyball team rivals game. The biggest game of their season. Court side tickets.

"Choice." He mumbled, staring incredulously at the girl before him.

"I felt bad about ripping up those tickets you bought before. Wanna go to the game with me?"

He was on cloud nine. He hadn’t expected it to be so…easy. Something about the win struck him as unsatisfying.

He gave her a broad grin, “Don’t sweat it doll. I’d love to go to the game with you.”

As soon as she was gone he turned to Nat who’s jaw looked like it had become unhinged from its joints.

"What was that about you telling me so?" A cocky smirk placed on his lips and his arms crossed over his chest.

Nat snapped his mouth shut and rolled his eyes, “I can’t believe that just happened.”

"Yeah…me neither." Kevin’s face betrayed nothing, but he was…disappointed, "Guess I won’t be needing those lessons after all."

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Nat getting ready to spew a comeback, but Kevin was already getting ready to leave. Just as he turned to walk to first period, he heard his name being called from down the hallway.

"Kevin!" Double D was speed walking towards him, a goofy grin spread over his cheeks.

"Double Dork?" He hadn’t been expecting to see the lanky boy during the school day. They hardly ever crossed paths in the halls.

"Greetings Kevin." Edd had reached him, panting slightly from his excursion, "I realize that you have most likely decided to abandon our lessons after yesterday’s incident, but I implore you Kevin, do not give up! I believe that I have found a way to make the process much more stimulating and enjoyable if you would please give me a second chance?"

Kevin was about to say no, to explain that he wouldn’t need lessons anymore, but something in those big blue eyes made him reconsider. The dork looked so eager. 

_A few more lessons wouldn’t hurt._

"Alright I’ll give it another shot." He reached a hand behind his head to rub his neck and looked away, not really sure what the emotion bubbling in his stomach was. 

"Oh thank you Kevin!" Edd shook Kevin’s unoccupied hand, surprising the taller boy, "You won’t regret this decision. Learning to play an instrument is an extremely beneficial endeavor!"

With a quick smile Double D was on his way to class, leaving a jock standing frozen in the hallway, his heart beating a little faster.

_'What was that?'_

He turned back to look at Nat, hoping to affirm that what happened  _really_ happened. Double D had never just approached him on his own before. He was met with doe eyes and a big, creepy smile. Kevin’s eyebrows pinched together in confusion and he gave the teal haired boy a look as if to say ‘what?’.

Nat steadied himself, “Oh it’s nothing.” *chuckle* “Let’s just get to class.

* * *

As Kevin made his way to lunch, he bumped into Nazz and gave her a quick hug. She smiled and squeezed him back.

"What was that for Kev?" He had grown to be an intimidating 6’2", and Nazz had to strain to look up at him.

"Thanks for talking to Macy dude. You’re a good friend." He followed her to the lunch line.

"Hey it’s no big deal man, what’s a favor between buds?"

They shared a laugh, and Nazz noticed something off about him. Normally after getting the girl Kevin would be bouncing off the walls, but he seemed a little deflated.

They sat down at their usual table and were quickly joined by Nat.

"So Nazz, did you hear the news? Kev here bagged himself Macy Dunbar." At Nat’s declaration, the entire table was giving their captain high fives and thumbs ups. 

He returned all of them with a fake smile. The only ones who noticed were the two that sat beside him.

"What’s wrong Kev?" Nazz asked once the commotion died down.

"It’s nothing." He shrugged and took a bite of his sandwich.

Nazz gave him ‘the look’ and he gulped in slight fear, a trained response.

"Alright I’ll fess up okay? Just put ‘the look’ away." He watched to make sure she complied.

"I dunno…it just feels like this was too easy. All that hype and she gives in just because I  _like_ country music?” He felt bored. This whole time he had been looking forward her being a sassy challenge, and sure he hadn't really _won_ yet but this was turning into a 'same old story' fast.

"It wasn’t just what I said Kev. She felt bad about tearing up those tickets, she just didn’t know how to approach you to say sorry." Nazz patted his shoulder.

"Sure, sure." Was all he could muster up as a response.

Nat cleared his throat, “So…” he was attempting to clear up the awkward atmosphere, “How are lessons going Kev?”

"Shut up Nat." Kevin looked around the table, hoping that none of the other nearby jocks had heard his friend speak. 

Nat chuckled and winked. He never really understood Kevin’s obsession with his image, but if it was important for him to save face, then Nat would make sure to do the same. That did not however, mean that Nat didn’t enjoy pushing his best friends buttons every once in a while.

Lunch went on without a hitch, and as the bell rang Kevin stood to put away his tray. He spun around, making his way back to Nat and Nazz and caught Macy’s eye from across the room. He waved at her lazily and smiled when she stuck out her tongue at him in return. Man, this chick had spunk...so why couldn't he just be happy with that?

He sighed, ready to call it quits and head home early. The thought of ditching the rest of class and riding his Harley to the city was looking like the greatest idea since the wheel…well maybe not  _that_  substantial but still. It was an important idea. 

He mulled the thought over in his head before deciding to just fuck it and go. One day of ditching class wouldn’t hurt anyone, least of all him. He snapped his helmet into place and pulled out of the parking lot, loving the way his bike purred underneath him. It was the sound of absolute freedom and every time he turned the keys to give the engine life, he couldn’t help but feel exhilarated. 

The possibilities of where were endless. He could go anywhere, but for now he focused on just  _going._ He would figure out his destination when he got there.


	4. Destinations

Kevin was stopped at a gas station, filling his tank when he felt a buzzing in his jacket pocket. Checking the caller ID, he recognized the number and answered.

"What do you want Double Dork?" He had meant to speak without malice, but the words came out a bit harsh.

"Salutations to you as well Kevin," Edd muttered back with as much sarcasm as he could muster, "I was hoping to clarify something with you. It seems this morning I had not given you a time for your next lesson."

"Huh. Guess you didn’t." Kevin scratched his chin, "That ain’t like you dork."

Double D resisted the urge to correct his grammar, “Yes well, unfortunately I have an obligation this evening. Are you available tomorrow after school?”

"Yeah sure, sounds good." His tank was full, and he was itching to get back on the road. 

"Thank you Kevin. I look forward to our next meeting." Kevin could practically hear the smile in the dorks voice.

"Uh huh." With a quick motion his phone was back in its place and he was rumbling down the road.

_Why’s this so important to him?_ He wondered as scenery flew past him. God did he  _love_ riding on the freeway. It was exhilarating. 

After a few hours of winding through unfamiliar roads, he found himself parking in a small lot near a strip of sand and soft lapping waves. He checked his watch and was pleasantly surprised at the time. It was barely 3:00 in the afternoon. School had ended an hour ago.

As he walked closer to the cove, he began to recognize where he was. It was not very far from home and he laughed, realizing he had been going in circles until he had found himself here. Nostalgia swept over him as he recalled the summers he and his closest friends had spent here roasting marshmallows and splashing in the waves. He kept walking until he found the cave that they had camped in and sat down against the cool wall. A deep breath allowed him to soak up the woodsy smell the hole had taken on from so many bonfires. 

A voice interrupted his thoughts.

"…And if you look here, you will find that the native sea life have built their homes in these tide pools. No touching if you please, we wouldn’t want to disturb them." 

_Double Dork?_ Kevin peeked out of the mouth of the cave, spotting Edd along with a few other students from school. They were all following Double D with clipboards like ducklings waddling after their mother. 

Curiosity piqued, he decided to follow the group at a distance so as not to be noticed. 

_Why am I following this dork?_ He asked himself as he squatted to peer into a rather large tide pool that was teeming with life. He had always played with the creatures that dotted this cove, but he had never taken the time to simply look. To appreciate them. A crab scuttled past his feet, and a starfish swayed slightly as it moved along the wall of its home. Small fish darted back and forth in front of him. 

_Weird._ He stood to follow the group, every once and a while picking up a few of the things Double D was excitedly prattling on about over the gentle waves. The group had stopped a little ways ahead, and Edd was pointing enthusiastically out towards the water. Wanting to know what was happening, Kevin made his way on top of the nearby rocks, careful that no one saw him.

"Oh my! What a treat, the otters are out today!" 

Kevin followed Edd’s finger and could barely see small critters moving around in the water, making their way closer to the shore. 

"They hardly  _ever_  dare to venture this close to the shore line! We are truly fortuitous gentlemen!” 

Kevin watched as they all passed around a pair of binoculars, and by the time they reached Double D, he was practically jumping in anticipation.

"Oh how wonderful!" He exclaimed, motioning for one of the other kids to take notes, "It appears we have stumbled upon a romp of Lutra Sumatrana!" 

They all murmured excitedly and someone handed Double D a camera. He began frantically shooting frame after frame of the small creatures. Kevin couldn’t figure out what all of the fuss was about, so he pulled out his phone and googled the name he had heard Edd call the otters.

“The hairy-nosed otter is one of the rarest otter species on earth. Until 1998, it was thought to have been extinct, but small populations have been discovered since then.” It made him smile. Good for Edd.

…Good for Edd…?

He shook his head. ' _Did I really just think that?'_

Whatever. So he was happy the dork was happy…so what? Right?

Having had enough for one day, Kevin headed back to his motorcycle, deciding it best not to read into his feelings too much. 

* * *

Kevin had spent the next day bored out of his wits. Macy was hanging out with him every time she had a chance, and while she was still the most fiery and sassy girl he had ever met, (besides Nazz of course) she was already won and therefore no longer a challenge. Of course he was civil with her and enjoyed the time they were spending with one another, but it didn’t float his boat the way he thought it would. 

_'Guess the next challenge is getting in her pants.'_  He thought before shaking his head angrily. Sometimes even  _he_ couldn’t believe how shallow he could be. He took a deep breath to steady his agitated mind. ' _Come on dude, be cool. She’s a nice girl. You should be happy.'_

He looked down at Macy who was currently sitting beside him, his arm draped loosely over her shoulders, and smiled at her. She stuck her tongue out in response and he laughed. 

_'See?'_ He told himself, ' _You could get used to this.'_

* * *

The end of the day couldn’t have come fast enough for the red head, and when the final bell rang he shot straight from his desk to his bike, wasting no time in saying goodbye to anyone. He swung his leg over the chopper and got ready to rev the engine, then paused when he spotted a sock hat bobbing a small distance away from where he was parked. 

_Might as well give him a ride._ He thought to himself,  _I mean we **are** both going to the same place. _

He moved to go grab Double D, but stopped short when he noticed that Ed and Eddy were both with him. They all seemed happy enough, but just seeing that pint sized dork made his blood boil. 

He continued to watch them as they walked towards the parking lot and had to slap a hand over his mouth to keep from laughing at what he saw. Ed was climbing into Eddy’s P.O.S. van and Double D was placing himself carefully onto the yellow Moped that was parked next to it. Kevin choked back a guffaw at the sight of it. He had seen that glorified scooter parked there everyday, but he had always assumed it belonged to some girl. He never would have guessed that it was property of none other than Double Dork. 

The more he thought about it, the more it made sense…the funnier it became. He had to look away and hold his gut as silent chortling shook his frame. As soon as they had driven away, Kevin wiped a tear from his eye and started his engine. 

_'How cute.'_ He thought and began driving off towards the cul-de-sac. It wasn’t until he was halfway home that hrealized what had flitted through his mind at the sight of Double D on a moped.

**Cute?**

He felt like he had been punched in the gut. What was he thinking? Edd wasn’t  _cute_ he was a guy!

Sure the  _scooter_ was cute but that didn’t mean that he thought…

"Ugh." He felt itchy. What was going on in his head? He had the attention of an extremely hot girl, and yet he wasn’t happy with that. He was happy when Edd was happy…he thought the boy was  _cute…?_

He took a deep breath as he pulled into his driveway. He had been going pretty fast and arrived at the cul-de-sac before any of the Eds. The short walk to Double D’s did nothing to calm his addled mind, and he flinched at the sound of engines turning onto the street. He waited patiently on Edd’s porch as the smaller boy waved shyly from down the driveway. Kevin returned the greeting halfheartedly, and was about to help Double put his scooter in his garage when he was stopped by the very familiar and annoying voice of Eddy.

"Hey box head, what do you think you’re doing here?" Eddy had run down to Edd’s house as soon as he saw Kevin sitting on his porch.

"None of your business dorky." Kevin growled back, clenching his fist. Eddy was moving closer to where he was standing and it was getting under skin _f_ _ast._

Sensing that the tense atmosphere was close to being volatile, Double D stepped forward.

"Now now Eddy, please don’t jump to conclusions." He placed a hand on his friends shoulder and gave him a reassuring smile, "Kevin is simply here for tutoring. Nothing more."

Eddy glanced between Edd and Kevin, suspicion rooted deep in his eyes but after receiving a soft squeeze from Double D he sighed.

"Fine." He rolled his eyes, "But if shovel chin does _anything_ to you, let me know.”

"Keh! Like you would do anything about it, dork." Kevin spat back.

"What’d you say tough guy?" Eddy was rolling up his sleeves.

Double D shot Kevin a look and stood between the two boys.

"Gentlemen  _please._ Cease this immediately.” Edd was becoming sick of the situation, “I will not stand for violence.  _Especially_ on my front porch! Now Eddy, please return home and I will visit you later this evening. Kevin if you would be so kind as to follow me inside we can begin your studies.”

The rivals continued to glare at one another, but years of experience had taught them not to push Double D when his temper flared. They huffed and looked away from each other. 

"See you later sock head." Eddy turned on his heel and made his way back down the street where Ed was munching a piece of toast that had no doubt come from one of his pockets.

"Thank you." Double D quipped before opening his front door to lead Kevin inside.

Once they passed through the threshold, Kevin sighed.

"Hey Double Dork," He was following Edd up the stairs, "Thanks for not telling him…you know."

"You’re quite welcome Kevin. I understand that it is important for you to keep up your image and I don’t plan on relinquishing to anyone the real reasons behind your being here."

Kevin felt a little sick. He didn’t like that Edd could see right through him. He didn’t want to be seen as shallow by this boy.

But why?

"Oh and Kevin?" The jock was pulled from his thoughts when they reached the top of the staircase. 

Kevin raised his head to find Double D’s face only inches from his own. A warm feeling crept up his cheeks and a knot twisted in his stomach. He was suddenly hyper aware of his limbs, and for some reason his lips felt like they were buzzing

_What the hell?_  Was all he could think as Edd spoke.

"I would appreciate it if you were to call me by my name. Double D or Eddward if you please."

Kevin gulped and managed to nod. Edd smiled at his response before heading down the hall to his bedroom door, leaving a dazed jock standing frozen in place.

"Kevin? Aren’t you coming?" He questioned, slightly worried.

Kevin shook his head and took a shaky step forward, confusion swimming in his mind.

_What’s wrong with me?_

 


	5. Close Quarters

Kevin stood behind the pedal steel guitar, once more awaiting instructions. For the second time, he felt a nervous toe guiding his feet into position…once again he felt smooth hands place his own to their posts, but this time it was different. Instead of being annoyed by the smaller boy’s touches, they made him nervous. His skin tingled wherever those slim fingers trailed and it felt like the Fourth of July in his stomach. 

Everything that his body was telling him was crystal clear, but he couldn’t understand  _why._ Why was he having a hard time just standing in front of the dork? Why did he have to  _focus_  on staying still? 

"Kevin?" Double D was waving a hand in front of his face, attempting to gather his student’s attention.

"Huh?" He snapped back to the moment with a gulp.

Edd raised a hand to cover the giggle that spilled over his lips, “May I have your hand please?”

"What?!" Kevin nearly shrieked. The fact that they were  _alone_ in Double D’s bedroom suddenly hit him like a ton of bricks.

"I need to place the picks onto your fingers…?" Edd spoke slowly, confused.

"Oh." Kevin presented his hand awkwardly, praying that whatever was happening inside of him would stop.

Once his hand was relinquished, he felt a breath escape his lungs. 

"Let’s begin then shall we?" Double D smiled, hoping to diffuse the sudden tension in the air.

"Sure." Kevin swallowed thickly, "So…" He decided to try for small talk, "You said that it was going to be more fun this time?"

"Correct!" Edd grinned mischievously before reaching to grab the sealed box that had been sitting on his bed. "I have devised a more effective way for you to learn. A reward system if you will."

He popped the lid off of the box and watched as Kevin’s mouth began to water out of habit.

Jaw breakers.

"It is to my understanding that you haven’t consumed a jaw breaker in years Kevin." Double D covered a chuckle with his fingers when the jock met his eyes.

"How did you know that?"

"Nazz and I may have spoken about it." Edd shook the box gently, letting the candies rattle against each other. 

Kevin’s eyes were glued to the contents of the box. After years of consuming the sugary orbs on an almost daily basis without proper dental work, he was told during a check up that he had five cavities. Ever since then, jaw breakers were banned from his house. 

"So what do I have to do to score those bad boys?" He cracked his knuckles, forgetting his confusion at the promise of such a delectable reward.

"All you have to do is make progress." Double D set the box back down, "For each page of music that you are able to complete, you will earn a single jaw breaker in return."

"Fair enough." Kevin answered, ready to dive in. 

* * *

An hour later, he had earned four succulent jaw breakers. He was determined to have more, but before he could flip to the fifth page Double D closed the book.

"Aw c’mon man what’d you do that for?" Kevin slumped over and held his hands out in disbelief as Edd packed up.

"An hour of practice a day is all that I will allow you to complete. Anymore could cause you to ‘burn out’ if you will." Double D turned to snatch four candies from the box and handed them over to Kevin.

And that was all it took. That one casual brush of skin to make Kevin remember where he was. He took the sweets and immediately popped one into his mouth, attempting to distract himself before plopping down onto Double D’s bed. Bad idea.

He had closed his eyes to better enjoy the flavor that he had been missing for so long and hadn’t noticed when a weight beside him caused the mattress to shift. He didn’t feel the small boy inching closer, but he did feel slender fingers take one of his hands.

He could have broken his neck at how fast he turned to face Edd. They were inches apart. Kevin swore he could feel the kids' breath on his face.

"Kevin?" A small, unsure voice streamed over chapped lips.

"Yeah?" He could feel the blush that was creeping up his neck and over his ears. ' _Calm down dammit calm down.'_

"Thank you for not conceding." The smaller hands shook his before letting go, "It will not be easy, but I am certain that you will master that confounded instrument in due time."

Kevin felt his heart pound against his rib cage. His fingers itched to touch the boy in front of him. God did he want to know what Edd  _tasted_ like. 

He was so  _close._

_'One taste couldn’t hurt right?'_

He inched forward as milliseconds stretched on for hours. Edd was still smiling, eyes closed and blissfully unaware of Kevin’s movements.

Kevin’s eyes slipped shut in anticipation, his lips parted, his mind gone blank…and then…

_Ding-dong!_

Edd turned away at the sudden sound.

"Oh dear," Double D raised a finger to his chin, "Who could that be?"

Kevin nearly fell onto his face.

His hands raced to conceal his flushed complexion as he flopped flat on his back, mind spinning. 

That almost happened.

**That almost happened.**

Kevin remained still and felt Double D get up to answer the door. His entire body went cold, and the stomach that had been producing wonderful fireworks moments before felt twisted and wrenched in knots. His hammering heart pounded with dread instead of apprehension. As he reflected silently, he pulled at his hair, hoping to extract that moment from existence.

"It didn’t happen."He whispered shakily to himself, "It didn’t happen."

But it  _could_ have. 

Approaching footsteps tore him from his mantra, and he sprang into action, gathering all of his things as quickly as he could before practically sprinting from the room.

"It was only the mail-Kevin?" Double D called as he was shoved out of the jock’s way.

"I gotta go." Was all Kevin offered before racing to the safety of his own home.

"Strange." Double D muttered, a finger tapping his chin.

* * *

The next day, Kevin spent his hours trying to deal with a foreign anxiety that was building in the pit of his stomach. He was sitting inside of his house on a beautiful Saturday morning. Normally he would have called Nat and Nazz over to go to the park or something, but not today. He wasn’t even answering text messages from his worried friends.

That was what prompted them to check up on him. After pounding on his front door and spamming his phone, they finally got him to answer the door.

"What do you guys want?" Kevin was crabby and still only dressed in his boxers when he had yanked the door open.

"Jeeze Kev have some decency," Nat motioned toward his wardrobe, "There is a lady present."

Nazz only giggled and made her way inside followed closely by Nat.

"We were worried about you dude." She spoke sweetly.

"Well don’t be. I’m just fine." Kevin huffed, resuming his place on the sofa where he had been playing video games.

"Oh really?" Nat sank down beside him.

"Yeah really." His eyes were glued to the screen, stubbornly refusing to look either of his friends in the eye.

Nazz stood to block Kevin’s view of the T.V., “Kev you only ever play Mario Kart 64 when something’s bugging you.”

He cursed Nazz’s attentive nature and tossed the controller he had been wielding onto the coffee table before crossing his arms and grunting.

"Kev…you know you can tell us anything right?" Nazz placed a hand on his knee and smiled patiently.

"She’s right bro. Anything." Nat nudged him with an elbow.

Despite how calm the other two were, Kevin couldn’t help but grow more angry by the second. He couldn’t just tell them what had happened...what he wanted to happen with every fiber of his being. They would never understand how he felt. 

"There’s nothing to say. I just want to be alone is that so much to ask?" He stared at the ceiling, hoping they would just take the hint. 

They shared a look before getting up to leave. 

"Alright then have it your way." Nat left without another word.

"Just keep your head up dude." Nazz gave him a quick hug before hurrying to catch up with Nat.

Kevin groaned and put an arm over his head. He knew he was pushing them away, and he knew he would regret it but right now he didn’t care. He had things he needed to figure out on his own.

An hour had passed when Kevin heard three strong knocks on his front door.

_Dammit I thought they had given up._

He opened the door, fully prepared to tell Nazz and Nat to go home already when he stopped short at the tall figure before him.

"So Casanova Kevin-boy," Kevin couldn’t believe the voice he heard, "Fuss Bucket Nazz girl tells me you are in need of assistance?"

Kevin stared up at his old friend and laughed in amazement. He hadn’t seen Rolf in months.

"Rolfy boy!" The jock gave Rolf a punch in the arm who returned it with one of his own. They shared a laugh and a quick bro hug before Kevin invited him inside.

After setting down a plate of sausage and eggs in front of Rolf, Kevin slid into the chair across from him.

"So what brings you here dude?" He took a bite of food, waiting for Rolf to answer.

"Rolf is here to assist the Sad Sack Kevin boy. So tell this son of a shepherd, what ails you?" Rolf shoveled a massive forkful of meat into his mouth, awaiting his friend’s answer.

"We’ll get to that later man, first I wanna know about the farm. How’s it been going?" Kevin recalled the day Rolf had left the cul-de-sac. They both knew that it was only a temporary leave, but that didn’t make the separation any less painful. Kevin had been Rolf’s first friend in the cul-de-sac, and they had grown close over the years.

Rolf had been ordered by his parents to tend to his Great Nana’s fields for the season because she had grown too old and crabby to do it herself. He was to plant the seeds and then find her a farm hand. Rolf hadn’t been due to come home for another week and yet, here he was.

"Rolf has been toiling in Nana’s fields for far too long Kevin. Rolf grows weary, but still Rolf goes on. The produce grows with the ferocity of Papa’s nose wart! Rolf was granted permission to return home early and so, here I stay." He smiled and took another healthy bite of sausage.

"That’s so choice dude! I’m glad you’re here to stay, things were getting boring without my bro around." 

"The Sea Haired Skinny boy and Go Go Nazz girl are not enough to satisfy your entertainment needs?" Rolf politely licked his plate clean, "Rolf will have to remedy this situation."

"You know what I mean dude. It’s good to have you back. The cul-de-sac isn’t the same without everyone here ya know?"

"Mhmm!" He nodded enthusiastically, "So, why was Rolf called to assist the Sad Sack Kevin boy? Did something go amiss while Rolf was with his Great Nana?"

"Well…you could say it was something like that." Kevin rubbed the back of his neck, "I’m just confused is all man, nothing to worry about."

Rolf stared at his friend suspiciously, “Is that so?”

"Yeah man." Kevin stood to clean up the plates, carrying them to the sink in the kitchen.

"Kevin. You insult the son of a shepherd! Did you not think that I could see your distress as clearly as Great Nano’s chest hair? Speak to Rolf, what ails you?" 

Kevin sighed.  _I shoulda know better. Nothing gets past Rolf when it comes to friends._

"Rolf?" He began hesitantly.

"Rolf listens." The son of a shepherd stood beside Kevin at the sink, patiently waiting for him to speak.

"What would you say if I were…I dunno…" Kevin struggled for the words to say.

"Speak." 

"…If I were gay?" Kevin set the plates down and froze, waiting.

"Rolf is confused. Why would Rolf think of Rolf’s friend any differently for being happy?"

"Ack…that’s not what I mean Rolfy boy…I mean if I were…you know _dating-_ ”

"Rolf understands Cowardly Kevin boy, do not make the son of a shepherd repeat himself." He captured Kevin under a stern gaze, "You are the one that is being confused like a sow in a hullabaloo. Rolf thinks nothing less of you for being happy, no matter what makes you feel as so. Does Casanova Kevin boy understand?"

Kevin released a breath he didn’t know that he had been holding and smiled for the first time in what felt like forever.

"Thanks Rolfy boy." He slugged Rolf’s shoulder, "So do you wanna go to the creek or something?"

"Ho-ho Kevin, do not think you will be getting off as easy as Nana’s back hair in summer! Tell Rolf who has caught the eye of his comrade!"

Kevin decided not to mention Rolf’s particularly disturbing metaphor, remembering what happened the last time he disrespected one of his relatives.

"Well…you actually know him. Pretty well I would say." 

"You have captured Rolf’s attention." A playful smirk curled onto Rolf’s lip, "Speak Kevin, bring forth the beans of secrecy."

"Promise you won’t laugh dude?" Kevin was still a bit unsure about voicing his feelings…but it was the truth. He couldn’t lie to Rolf.

"Rolf swears on his Great Nano’s kidney stone key chain!" He yanked it out of his pocket as proof, eliciting an unnoticed shudder from Kevin.

"Alright man…it’s Edd." He blushed. Saying it out loud felt good.

"Chicken Theif Ed boy? Rolf must say, this is unexpected."

"What? No dude Double Dork. You know…Eddward." Saying Edd’s birth name made his lips tingle.

"Oh! Double D Ed Boy! Hmm…" He brought a finger to his chin, "Rolf approves Kevin. Let us go to spread the good news and commence the courting celebration!" Rolf grabbed hold of Kevin’s wrist and began to drag him towards the door.

"Wait! Rolfy boy Edd’s got no idea! I can’t just tell him out of no where!" He was beet red at the thought of just baring his feelings, no holds barred. No way was it going down like that!

"Why not?" Rolf paused and turned back to question Kevin.

"Because dude he would say no!" He bit his lip, hoping Rolf would grasp the concept. 

"Rolf does not understand. If we do not commence the celebration how will the Double D Ed boy know of your affection?" 

"I’ll just have to…ease him into it I guess. Hang out with him more and stuff like that, ya know? If I just confess out of no where I’ll scare him off." 

"Hmm." Kevin stumbled back and onto the floor when Rolf finally released his wrist, "You may have a point Casanova Kevin boy. That Ed boy is frightened easily like cousin Bixlow at the stench of Great Nana’s neck sweat. We must be tactful in how we plan your pursuit."

"We?" Kevin sputtered from the floor.

"Yes, we." With that Rolf opened Kevin’s front door and in stumbled Nat and Nazz, grinning sheepishly at having been caught eavesdropping. 

"What are you guys doing here?!" Kevin was getting redder by the second, but he couldn’t tell if it was from embarrassment or anger. Probably a mixture of both.

"We were just worried about you! Poor baby…" Nat brushed himself off and gave Kevin his best doe eyes.

"Yeah dude we’re your best friends. We’ve got your back." Nazz walked over and offered Kevin a hand.

He sat on the floor stubbornly for a moment before looking between his three closest friends. He let go of a frustrated sigh and accepted Nazz’s appendage, rising from his seat on the floor.

"Alright! Operation hook up Kevin and Double D is now in motion! Let’s get started!" Nat whooped, looking a little too excited.

"Rolf will prepare provisions, as this will surely take much time." He headed to the kitchen and began pulling random foodstuffs from the fridge.

"I’ll help you Rolf!" Nazz skipped over to where Rolf was shoving meat into a grinder and pulled a few skillets from their places in the cabinet.

Kevin groaned and smacked his forehead before checking the clock on the stove. It was barely 11:30 in the morning. With a sigh he made his way over to where Nat was furiously writing things down on a note pad and took a seat next to him. It was going to be a long afternoon.

 


End file.
